Coat-hanger.



J.- L. SUMMER. COAT HANGER. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 14, 1911.

1,097,889, Patented May 26, 1914.

WITNESSES FW' 1WALL J W am 2? W www- ATTOR/VEY.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH C0..wAsHINuToN. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN L. SOMMER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO J. L. SOlVIlVIER MANUFAC- TURING 00., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

COAT-HANGER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 26, 1914.

Application filed February 14, 1911. Serial No. 608,614.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, JOHN L. Soinvrna, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain Improvements in Coat-Hangers, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to an improved coat hanger which embodies novel features of construction whereby it will form a rigid support for acoat or similar garment when extended, but which may be very compactly folded when not in use.

Among the objects of the invention are to provide a coat hanger which can be instantly extended for use or collapsed without the necessity of making any preliminary adjustments; to produce a folding coat hanger which is susceptible of being properly shaped to fit a coat or similar garment out high in the neck; to provide a simple and cheap construction, and to obtain other advantages and results, as may be brought out in the following description.

In the accompanying drawings, in which like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views, Figure 1 is a side elevation of a coat hanger constructed in accordance with the present invention, the arms being shown in an extended position. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the arms in a folded position. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side elevation of the joint between the arms and the lower end of the hook member, and Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional view on the line 1- 1- of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrow.

Specifically describing the present embodiment of the invention, the numerals 1 designate a pair of arms which have their inner ends pivotally connected by means of a pin 2 to the lower extremity of a supporting member 3, the said supporting member being shown in the present instance as having the form of a hook. When the coat hanger is extended, as shown in Fig. 1, the arms 1 project in opposite directions from the book 3 so that a coat or similar garment can be hung thereon in the usual manner, the outer ends of the arms being transversely looped as indicated at 4; to form a broad support for the shoulders of the coat. The arms 1 are pivoted to the hook 3 on opposite sides thereof and the said hook is preferably flattened so as to be received between the arms when the hanger is folded, as indicated in Fig. 2. The inner extremities of the arms 1 are flattened andformed with the lateral extensions 5 which, as indicated in Figs 1 and 3 are designed to ex tend upwardly along opposite sides of the shank of the hook 3 when the coat hanger is open for use, the said lateral extensions being formed with the shoulders 6 which engage opposite sides of the hook 3 to limit the downward movement of the arms and hold the arms rigidly in position when a coat or other garment is applied to the hanger. The flattened lateral extensions 5 are preferably offset inwardly from the axes of the arms 1 so that the inner faces thereof re flush with the inner sides of the arms, thereby providing a construction which prevents the arms from abutting against the hook member and interfering with the proper folding of the hanger. By reference to Fig. 4-, it will be observed that the two arms 1 are arranged in spaced planes with the flattened hook member 3 interposed between the same, and when it is desired to fold the hanger, it is merely necessary to swing the arms 1 upwardly until the looped portions r at the outer ends thereof are brought into contact with each other, the

hook 3 being received between the arms 1 and'the curved portions at the inner ends of the arms overlapping. In this connection, it may also be noted that the hook member 3 terminates slightly below the pin 2 so as to provide ample clearance for the shoulders 6 when the arms 1 are swung upwardly to collapse the coat holder.

here coats are out high in the neck, it is necessary in order to support the same without wrinkling that the coat hanger be bulged upwardly at the central portion to provide a hump, and while it has been very easy to construct a rigid coat hanger with such a hump. all folding coat hangers have been formed with arms having a uniform curve, and were a failure when used in connection with coats cut in this manner. With the present construction of coat hanger, however, the inner ends of the arms 1 can be readily curved upwardly, as indicated in Fig. 1, so as to provide this central hump when the folder is extended, and this does not in any manner interfere with the compact folding of the device, since the arms 1, as previously explained, are arranged in slightly spaced planes and the curved inner ends of the same overlap each other when folded.

It will be noted that the shank of the hook member is straight and that the entirehook member lies in a single plane, namely, the plane of the coat hanger, all of which conduces to simple, easy and cheap manufacture. Furthermore, the two arms 1, l are exact duplicates, and each may be formed at its pivotal end by a single bend and then stamping said bent end to flatten it and form the shoulder 6. This stamping offsets the pivotal end, as described, and furthermore widens it in the direction of strain so as to better resist such strain. The shoulders 6 thus formed are long, extending almost below the-pivot 2 when the arms are extended, as shown in Fig. 3 ofthe drawings, and'hence they give a very strong 0011- struction which is quickly, easily and cheaply manufactured. By displacing the -metal wholly from one side of the arm in such stamping, the flattened pivotal end lies flush with the other side of the arm, as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawing, and hence the main portion of each arm is practically in alinement with its pivotal end, although space is provided for the two arms to pass each other in folding. All of this conduces to strength and compactness of structure.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim is:

1. In a folding coat hanger, the combination of a hook member having a straight shank transversely perforated close to its end, a pin extending through said perforation and projecting at opposite sides of said shank, and a pair of arms having their adjacent ends widened in the plane of the hanger and perforated whereby said arms are pivotally mounted upon the before mentioned pin on opposite sioes of the hook member, the said pivoted ends of the arms extending beyond the pivotal pin and being bent each at an angle to the main portion of the arm in the plane of the hanger and provided at their facing sides with margi nal shoulders adapted to engage the shank of the hook member and limit downward swinging of the arms when the hanger is in use.

2. In a folding coat hanger, the combination with a hook member having a straight flattened shank transversely perforated close to its end, a pin extending through said perforation and projecting at opposite sides of said shank, and a pair of wire arms having their adjacent ends perforated to receive said pivotal pin onopposite sides of the hook member, said ends being flattened in the plane of the coat hanger and each having its inner side or side next the shank in a plane substantially flush with the same side of the main portion of its arm, the said flattened ends of the armsbeing extended beyond said-pivotal pin each at an angle to the main port-ion of the arm in the plane of flattening and provided at their facing sides with marginal shoulders adapted to engage opposite edges of the shank and limit downward swinging of the arms when the hanger is in use.

3. In .a folding coat hanger, the combination with a hook member having a straight flattened shank transversely perforated close to its end, a pin extending through said perforation and projecting at opposite sides of said shank, and a pair of arms having their adjacent ends perforated and receiving said pivotal pin on opposite sides of the shank, said ends being flattened andwidened each in a plane parallel to the plane of the flattened shank and extended in its said plane eyond the pivotal pin at an angle to the main portion of the arm, said extensions havingat their facing sides adjacent to their outer edges marginal shoulders which are farther awayfrom the pivot pin than are the end edges of the shank, whereby said shoulders engage opposite lateral edges of the shank when the arms are opened and clear the end edges of the shank when the arms are closed.

JOHN L. SOMMER. Witnesses CORNELIUS ZABRISKlE, RUssnLL M. EVERETT.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents. Washington, D. O. 

